


Baby I Need You Now

by MeredithBrody



Series: Brody/James [3]
Category: NCIS: New Orleans
Genre: F/M, Minor Character Death
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-19
Updated: 2015-07-18
Packaged: 2018-04-05 03:46:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 4,218
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4164498
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MeredithBrody/pseuds/MeredithBrody
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The second part to my drabble challenges. This one is all Brody/James, and I haven't finished writing it yet, so this will update slower than "Turn Back To Me".</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**“Good morning” kiss ******

Brody rolled over knowing that when she did she was going to find someone she loved sharing the bed. It had become obvious over the last couple of days that she had never gotten over James, she'd just ignored how she felt about him. Now, there was no need for that. She had accepted that she still loved him, and that made this all the better. "Morning."

"You're not leaving this morning?" There was a hint of surprise in his voice, and she couldn't blame him. for as much as she had punished him, for years, about his leaving her. She had been leaving him far longer, and far more frequently.

"I don't need to. No work this morning." She was always happy they had the day after they closed an intense case like that one off. Tomorrow she'd go back to her two dozen open cases and try to get them working together. Today, she was hopefully going to stay with James until he had to leave.

James looked at her, and she couldn't even guess what was going through his mind. After another few seconds she recognised the guilty look, and was about to ask when he started speaking. "What about Doc Wilkins?"

"We're done." She shook her head. That relationship had ended the previous morning, when she'd called him, told him that James was back and that it had reminded her of why she'd loved him to begin with. 

"I'm sorry." He looked genuinely apologetic, and while he may have had a part in her break-up, the decision had been hers alone. He wasn't to blame, and she wasn't going to let him think he was.

She just was not that sad about the end of that relationship, or James' return to her life. "I'm not sorry, and it's not your fault. Clearly I wanted you, not him." She smiled and kissed him. The truth was if she had been as interested in Sam as she thought she had been, she wouldn't have found herself as desperate to spend time with James, and she definitely wouldn't have fallen into bed with him so easily.


	2. Chapter 2

**Kiss on the forehead**

Brody was in the middle of a very boring report when she recognised footfall approaching her desk. Looking up, she was a touch surprised and concerned when she saw James coming over to her. When he saw she'd looked up he shot her one of his happy smiles and waved a little. "Hey baby."

"Hello, who let you in?" She asked as he came over and kissed her forehead. At least in this office that wasn't so unusual. A lot of people coming in and out would end up kissing others on the forehead, and that was the least strange thing about this office.

"LaSalle." He nodded over his shoulder, and then frowned seeing that the other agent hadn't followed him in. Brody wasn't really sure what was going on between those two, but they had never seemed to click. Right now though, it seems they had declared peace.

"Oh. Why you here?" She had to ask. James had visited her once before at work, and that had been the day he'd come to tell her that he was moving to New Orleans permanently, as he had a contract based there. Clearly he had been expecting her suspicion.

James smiled and held a card out to her. She was happy at least to see it wasn't from him, but from her parents. She wondered momentarily if that meant they knew she and James were back together. "It's your birthday, and I'm taking you out."

"You remembered?" She asked, surprised. LaSalle walked across the bullpen in front of her to his desk, clearly laughing a little as he went.

"Of course I remembered, I've been planning this for weeks." James held his hand out for her, and she couldn't quite believe that he'd managed to do all this. It wasn't James' usual type of gesture. Maybe he really was turning over a new leaf. "Let's go." She stood up and took his hand, just staring at him still shocked.

"Alright. I'll see you later Pride." She looked at her boss who had a silly grin on his face, clearly he had been in on this. She was somehow not at all surprised. They had been surprisingly quiet about her birthday this year. That should have made her suspicious to begin with. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Drunk/sloppy kiss**

Brody hadn't been expecting James at her place tonight. But thankfully when he'd opened the door he'd had the thought to drunkenly shout through the house that it was him. As he approached the bedroom she laughed, hearing him apologise to the various walls and doors he bumped into along the way. "How much have you drunk?"

"I'm not sure. A case or two." He sat on the edge of the bed, and she ended up chuckling at him slowly swaying. It was far more amusing than it probably should have been. She was just amused by how drunk he actually was.

"Suddenly I remember why I normally went out with you." She laughed, that seemed excessive even for the friends she knew James was reconnecting with. They had all been a big group, and while she'd wanted to go out with them she had a case. So she'd been working, and now she should be asleep. Not watching them all drink.

Clearly though, James remembered her drinking maybe a little better than she did. She didn't remember all that much of those days at all. She just knew that there was a lot of them, and she had drunk along with all of them. "You were as bad as me."

"I know. But then we were drunk together." He leant forward and cut her off by kissing her. She appreciated the attempt, but the beer breath was not the greatest thing she'd ever experienced, and she was sure that he could barely stay sat up much longer. "James, baby. Get in bed. I'll get you some water and aspirin." He nodded and pulled his shirt off, then pushed his pants down, climbing into the bed in just his underwear.

"Thank you MB, I love you." He mumbled into the pillow, and she just smiled standing at the door. Despite being drunk and exhausted he did look very cute, and she couldn't help but just smiling watching him. Letting him back in was definitely a good choice. Now she couldn't imagine her life without him.


	4. Chapter 4

**Awkward kiss**

She had never really been a big fan of public affection, but she also knew that in situations like this, not indulging could be seen as insulting. The better part of all of this was Brody knew that James hated these kinds of displays as much as she did. 

They clearly decided a quick peck on the lips and a cuddle was enough, and she was happy to see that he was feeling the same. That tiny kiss was awkward enough, and she hated that she was going to obsess about that for a while. 

James then kissed her temple again as they wrapped their arms around each other, finding they were far more comfortable with that than anything else.


	5. Chapter 5

**Angry kiss**

He couldn't quite believe the scene they had caused at the dinner, and now they were in the hotel room they had rented for the night. "You are an asshole." Was the first thing he thought to say when the door was closed. 

"You're not that great yourself James." She shot back, and he could accept that, if only because he was an asshole. She normally wasn't. 

"I didn't embarrass you in front of all your colleagues." OK, that was maybe not entirely accurate, but it was how it felt. The argument would be forgotten by them in the morning but he still wasn't feeling like letting her off the hook. "That was shitty Meredith, and there was no need for it."

She smiled at him and laughed a touch sarcastically. "Meredith? You really are pissed at me." At that moment she leant forward and kissed him hard, pushing him back to the wall. She was maybe feeling a little remorseful, but he wouldn't bet on it. "What can I do to make it up to you?" She asked, and he had to bite his lip looking at her.

"Don't push me babe. I'm really not in the mood." He groaned out quietly. There was something about when she pushed him like this that made it hard for him to figure out the line between being angry and being turned on.

"Who said I was pushing you. You asshole." He was more shocked when she leant forward and kissed him again. Maybe she was trying to stop him being angry at her, but she was going the right way about it. They were fucked up, angry people, but they worked. This was part of the reason why.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is set during 1x18 "The List"

**“I’m sorry” kiss**

He pulled her tight to him and she had to stop herself from melting immediately. As soon as his lips landed on hers she knew that she was going to give in. She couldn't even claim she was drunk. They'd had two drinks, and then they'd ended up sat closer and closer together until they were here. She knew she was kissing back, and more than that, she knew this was wrong. They both did.

Right now though, if this was how he said sorry, she was going to forgive him every time. She had always loved him, and she would always love him. Telling her that he was sorry he'd left the way he did was a start on the way to making them official again. She wasn't sure she wanted that right now, she still had to decide what was happening with Sam.

As his hand slid into the waistband of her jeans she realised that it didn't matter her relationship status. She wanted James, and she always had. LaSalle had been right, she'd known she wasn't over him. Right now though she realised she was never going to be over him. That was OK though, because he could drive her crazy over and over again, and when he said sorry like this she'd always accept it.


	7. Chapter 7

**“I’ve missed you” kiss**

As she arrived at the airport to pick him up she smiled seeing he still travelled as lightly as he always had done before. Clearly he was happy to see her, and to see that she had picked him up like his voicemail had requested. "You answered my calls this time."

"Well, we left things ambiguous." She smiled at the look that crossed his face, he clearly was not that sure about her wording there. Maybe she couldn't blame him. It wasn't the best description, but it was a description that fit them. 

"We spoke every week I was away. I didn't think it was all that ambiguous." Alright, James had a point there too. He actually had a very good point, and she found herself wrapping her arms around him as they walked out. That was when she realised she wanted to do something specific this time.

"James?" She asked tugging him to a stop and stepping out of the way of all the people trying to get past them. 

"Yeah?" He replied, the same questioning tone she'd used being returned on her. Why was this so hard to think about, and why was it too difficult for her to answer for herself.

She just had one question she wanted answering before she decided exactly which way this conversation was going to go. If he answered one way, she could change everything, if he answered the other it was time to cut the cord. "Do you love me?"

"Since the day we met, nothing has ever changed that." That was the answer she'd wanted to hear. He still loved her, and that meant she could do something about it. "Do you love me?" That was a fair question, one that he deserved an answer to.

"That never changed." She admitted, which meant that she knew they felt the same for each other. Clearly James noticed she was asking for a reason. She wondered if this would actually work.

"Then what are we doing here?" He asked, taking hold of her hand softly. She felt the hands that she loved, all the bumps in the places she remembered.

"Changing the story end." She stepped up and kissed him as hard as she could, hoping that how much she'd missed him. After a moment he wrapped his arms around her and started kissing her back. Clearly he'd missed her too.


	8. Chapter 8

**Seductive kiss**

Brody was fed up of seeing him slaving over the laptop, she knew why he was, but she wasn't really used to it. It had been a long time since he'd had a deadline for a story, and it had probably been equally long since they were actually in a relationship meaning she cared.

She walked to him and lifted his chin, just pecking his lips gently, then used her tongue to lightly run along his lips before pulling away. If this didn't pull him away for a short break, nothing would. "Come to bed." She muttered, pecking his lips again. She smiled when he shut the lid and followed her away from the desk. She'd apparently done what she'd needed. 


	9. Chapter 9

**“War’s End” kiss**

There was only one thing that he had wanted to do tonight and it seemed like the perfect time to do it was right now. He'd made it home after a good day, and kissing his very lovely girlfriend was all he wanted. She just seemed confused though. "What's that for?"

"The war is over." He proclaimed, and he was certain that she was considering getting him sectioned at the look of incredulous confusion on her face.

"What war?" She asked, and he'd kinda dreaded her asking that. He wondered for a few moments if he should lie, because that would be appropriate to stop her laughing. There was a probability that would backfire though.

In the end though, he decided that he should be honest. She was well aware of the problems at the newspaper, so it probably wouldn't even surprise her when he told her what was over. "My department and the print journalists."

"And you're celebrating with me?" Merri asked, and he laughed a little, kissing her again. She was clearly very happy that he was happy, but she was also confused too.

"Nobody in the world I'd rather celebrate with." He grinned and kissed her again. Happy to see that she was actually happy about this particular war being over. It probably seemed ridiculous to people who didn't work like this, but it was what they needed.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is another one set during/just after 1x18 "The List"

**“Goodbye” kiss**

Standing at the airport with James, Brody knew that this was it for them. They had finally ended the story. It could have had a very different ending, but it didn't. This was the last move for both of them. "I wish this wasn't the end."

"We don't work, James." She knew that, and so did he. They had, but now she wasn't sure they would ever be compatible. They had opposite career goals, and in the long run, their relationship goals weren't all that similar. 

"Yeah, so you keep saying MB." He wrapped his arms around her lightly, and she smiled at him and put her hands on his shoulders. "But we always seemed to work before." 

"You know what I mean. This was fun, and I will miss you." She really would, he'd been her best friend for a very long time, and their relationship had only been one side of that. It was great for them to know where they were going. 

James looked distressed, and for almost a minute she rethought this situation. She considered figuring out a way they could work, but then he spoke, and she knew that they would both be better off for this situation to end. "Me too, every day."

"If you ever come back to New Orleans look me up." That was a genuine offer. They could still be friends, she was certain of that. They just couldn't be in a relationship with each other. It would drive her round the bend. Worrying about him all the time.

"You think you'll still be here?" He asked, and that was a good point. She had often moved regularly, but this was her home now. She'd said that the night before, and she still meant it. New Orleans was home. 

"I think I'm gonna be here a long time." She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him as hard as she could. This was probably the last time she would ever feel those familiar lips on hers, and the last time he held her close to him. It was their last kiss, and she was alright with that. It was the perfect time to say goodbye. "Goodbye James." She pulled back and walked away. 


	11. Chapter 11

**“I almost lost you” kiss**

Sitting beside her hospital bed had been the most terrifying hours of his life. It wasn't the first time he'd been here, but this had been the closest to death she'd ever been, and he had genuinely thought for a while he was going to lose her. He was thinking about that when he heard her moan and move her head. He stood up and took hold of her hand, pressing it up against his cheek. "Meredith."

"Hey." She smiled tiredly at him, and he smiled as he felt her lightly squeeze his hand. Clearly she only needed a moment before she realised she wasn't waking up at home in their bed, but somewhere else entirely. "Where am I?"

"The hospital, Pride called me when you were rushed in here." He had never appreciated her boss as much as he had in that moment. He'd gotten the impression that Meredith's boss hadn't really cared much for him, but apparently he'd been mistaken. At least, he'd called James when she'd been almost dead in an ambulance. 

"What happened?" She sounded a little confused, but less so than she had on some other occasions where they'd been like this, all those years ago. 

"You were shot." He hated saying those words. This was the third time he'd said them to her, and he had hated them every time. "I almost lost you MB." He kissed her gently, and smiled when he felt her lips returning the gentle pressure he placed on them.

She smiled up at him with a combination of amusement and exhaustion. "You didn't. Clearly." He should have guessed that she'd still be trying to sass him, even after losing a pint of blood and four hours in surgery. He knew her well enough that he would have been more concerned if she hadn't tried sassing him.

"No, I didn't." He managed to get out while still chuckling a little. He still had her, and he probably always would at this point. They were working toward something permanent again, and that meant he still had her there with him, and he hoped neither of them was going to leave. "I still have you." 

"I'm sleepy." She muttered, and he leant down and this time kissed her forehead softly. He was so happy to have seen her eyes, and to have heard her speak. That made him feel like she was going to be alright.

"Go back to sleep baby, I'll be right here when you wake up." He smiled stroking her hair gently. He smiled as she yawned again and he had to be happy that right now she was keeping him in. She probably wasn't entirely sure she was doing it, but when she'd been in hospital before she'd often pushed him out, not this time though. 

"I love you." She said sleepily. He smiled as she tucked their joined hands under her cheek, and just pulled the chair he'd been sitting on round so he could sit in a comfortable position so she didn't have to let go. He had been so afraid, he didn't want to walk away now.


	12. Chapter 12

**Kiss on the nose**

Looking up Brody was glad to see that James had made it back from his latest assignment without any significant damage, and he just came straight to the table and kissed her gently. "You are so damn cute."

"Ewww, daddy." Came a voice from the other side of the table, and the both looked over, remembering again that they weren't the only one who lived in this house. Once upon a time that had been easier to forget, now though, their dependant housemate could talk.

"You're cute too, Millie." He kissed his daughter on the head as he passed her on his way to putting his backpack down. She didn't even remember where he'd been on his latest trip.

Brody just rolled her eyes and looked at him with a smirk. Probably this was a bad idea, because Millie had some strange ideas of payback, but it was amusing for her, especially given that they had never really thought about kids. "I don't think she was complaining at you calling me cute, babe."

"Was it the kissing?" He jokingly asked, looking at the girl who was colouring on the other side of the table, then smiled at his wife once more. "Because I can do that again." He grinned and leant forward, kissing her tenderly on the nose.

"Daddy!" The five year old shouted then ran around the table and jumped up and down until her father picked her up. Once upon a time this would have been the last thing Meredith Brody would have ever wanted, but now they were here, she couldn't imagine life without them. 


	13. Chapter 13

**Kiss on the ear**

She couldn't stay, she wished she could, but she couldn't. It wouldn't be fair on him, and it wouldn't be good for her. These nights were something that she allowed herself when she really shouldn't, because she needed to feel like she was still alive, and he had always made her feel like she was worthy of being loved. 

All that was showing of him above the sheet was his cheek and ear. She wanted, so badly, to get back in the bed with him and forget about leaving, but she didn't want to cause him pain. She was cursed, and she loved him too much to let him caught up in the mess that was her life. So she leant down and kissed his ear, whispering a goodbye before gathering her clothes and leaving. 

This was for the best in the long run. 


	14. Chapter 14

**Kiss on the neck**

"Hey, baby." She said the moment he opened the door, and he knew that the tremors he'd heard on the phone were just the beginning of the problems his friend was experiencing. Was that all they were now, friends? That was a question for another night, right now, she was someone who needed his help.

"What's wrong?" He asked, knowing the look on her face and the sound of her voice on the phone. He also knew that she would only be here for a few reasons. She'd want to talk to someone who knew her inside and out, and she'd want to talk about people that nobody here in New Orleans had ever met. That was why she came here.

"I just need you now." She whispered and stepped into the apartment. He could see that she was struggling to maintain her composure, and he wondered if this was as hard for everyone in her profession or if she just was being affected by the things she'd seen, and the things she'd seen.

"I'm here." He pulled her into his arms and held her tightly, feeling her kissing his neck as she cried. The only times she cried were when she had been visited by her past. Since moving to the city he'd been woken by her calling him asking if she could come over at 1am a few times. They always ended up going the same way, and he could live with that. 


	15. Chapter 15

**Kiss on the back**

She woke to lips placing gentle kisses on her back, slowly getting higher as she laid there. James had learnt that was one of the fastest ways to wake up in the early days of their relationship, and that had never changed. 

The benefits of waking up this way meant that she had slept through an entire night and nobody had called her to work, and nobody had wanted her to do something for them. She'd just gotten to lay in bed after a very good night and sleep next to someone she loved. 

As his lips made it to her neck she realised that certain parts on James were maybe more awake than other, explaining this particular wake up call. Not that she minded anymore. She actually loved getting these mornings. So she rolled over in his arms and kissed him hard then pulled him over her. She might as well enjoy her morning with no call in. 


End file.
